Kenilworth, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Kenilworth is a village in Cook County
, Illinois
, 15 mi (24.1 km) north of downtown Chicago
. It is the newest of the nine suburban North Shore
communities bordering Lake Michigan
, and is the only one developed as a planned community. Kenilworth has a reputation as being the wealthiest, the whitest and the most exclusive community in the Midwest ("...although high income is the prerequisite, not race."). In January 2011, Forbes.com ranked Kenilworth as the second most affluent neighborhood in the United States, naming it "the most exclusive neighborhood in the Midwest, with estimated median household income of $247,000. Even after the housing slump the average house in Kenilworth sells for about $1 million." http://www.forbes.com/2011/01/18/americas-most-affluent-communities-business-beltway.html.
of 2000, there were 2,494 people, 792 households and 697 families residing in the village. The population density
was 4,190.8 people per square mile (1,604.9/km²). There were 815 housing units at an average density of 1,369.5 per square milele (524.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.27% White, 0.16% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.25% Asian, and 0.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.
There were 792 households out of which 49.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 81.7% were married couples
living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 11.9% were non-families. 10.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.15 and the average family size was 3.39.
In the village, the population was spread out with 34.8% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.
As of the census of 2000, the median income for a household in the village was greater than $200,000, as is the median income for a family. The per capita income
for the village was $100,718. None of the families and 1.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.
There are no private schools in the small village of Kenilworth itself, but some K-8 students do attend nearby schools such as St. Faith, Hope and Charity, St. Joseph, St. Francis Xavier, Roycemore School, Baker Demonstration, and North Shore Country Day.
The vast majority of high schoolers in Kenilworth attend New Trier High School
, the district high school just down the road, but others attend a variety of private schools including local and boarding schools. The most popular choices for students looking for alternatives include local private schools such as Loyola Academy
, North Shore Country Day School
, Regina Dominican, Roycemore School
, and Lake Forest Academy
, as well as boarding schools on the East Coast such as The Hotchkiss School, Deerfield Academy
, Loomis Chaffee
, Miss Porter's School
, Westminster School
, and others.
Kenilworth does not have its own fire department or library; for these services, the town contracts with the neighboring Winnetka fire department and with the Wilmette library. Kenilworth has its own police department and 9-1-1 call center.
In recent years, the Kenilworth Assembly Hall has become a home for concerts and benefits hosted by local bands from New Trier High School
,Sears moms and other surrounding areas. The title "North Shore Scene" has been appropriately coined by many students and teenagers to describe their association with the concerts and the bands that participate. The North Shore Scene has helped launch the careers of well-known artists such as Fall Out Boy
and Blacktop Mourning.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land.
The highest point in the village is in the northwest corner, along Ridge Rd. This point is about 643 feet (196 m) above sea level, or 68 feet (20.7 m) above the surface of Lake Michigan.
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, 15 mi (24.1 km) north of downtown Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. It is the newest of the nine suburban North Shore
North Shore (Chicago)
The North Shore is a term that refers to the generally affluent suburbs north of Chicago, Illinois bordering the shore of Lake Michigan.- History :Europeans settled the area sparsely after an 1833 treaty with local Native Americans...
communities bordering Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, and is the only one developed as a planned community. Kenilworth has a reputation as being the wealthiest, the whitest and the most exclusive community in the Midwest ("...although high income is the prerequisite, not race."). In January 2011, Forbes.com ranked Kenilworth as the second most affluent neighborhood in the United States, naming it "the most exclusive neighborhood in the Midwest, with estimated median household income of $247,000. Even after the housing slump the average house in Kenilworth sells for about $1 million." http://www.forbes.com/2011/01/18/americas-most-affluent-communities-business-beltway.html.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,494 people, 792 households and 697 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 4,190.8 people per square mile (1,604.9/km²). There were 815 housing units at an average density of 1,369.5 per square milele (524.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.27% White, 0.16% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.25% Asian, and 0.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.
There were 792 households out of which 49.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 81.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 11.9% were non-families. 10.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.15 and the average family size was 3.39.
In the village, the population was spread out with 34.8% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.
As of the census of 2000, the median income for a household in the village was greater than $200,000, as is the median income for a family. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $100,718. None of the families and 1.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Kenilworth has its own public school district, with its only school being Joseph Sears School, named after the founder of the village. The district is School District 38 in Cook County, and is the fifth most expensive K-8 district in the state of Illinois in per-student spending. The school, commonly known as Sears, runs from junior kindergarten through eighth grade, with about sixty students per grade. Sears has its own gymnasium, auditorium, library, and one high-tech computer lab, in addition to a blacktop and large fields behind the school. Annual events that go on at Sears include The Eighth Grade Play, the Spelling Bee, the Geography Bee, Scamper Night (concert put-on by the Girl Scouts), and Field Day (Tigers vs. Wildcats). Most students participate in one of the school's athletic teams, including boys and girls basketball, boys and girls volleyball, coed soccer, field hockey and coed track and field. Football and Lacrosse are also popular sports students will participate in that are run through the Kenilworth Park District.There are no private schools in the small village of Kenilworth itself, but some K-8 students do attend nearby schools such as St. Faith, Hope and Charity, St. Joseph, St. Francis Xavier, Roycemore School, Baker Demonstration, and North Shore Country Day.
The vast majority of high schoolers in Kenilworth attend New Trier High School
New Trier High School
New Trier High School is a public four-year high school , with its major campus located in Winnetka, Illinois, USA, and a second campus in Northfield, Illinois, with freshman classes and district administration...
, the district high school just down the road, but others attend a variety of private schools including local and boarding schools. The most popular choices for students looking for alternatives include local private schools such as Loyola Academy
Loyola Academy
Loyola Academy is a private, co-educational college preparatory high school, located in Wilmette, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, it is one of 47 Jesuit high schools in the United States and is a member of the Jesuit Secondary Education...
, North Shore Country Day School
North Shore Country Day School
North Shore Country Day School, is a small private school founded in 1919 and located in Winnetka, Illinois. It consists of a lower school, a middle school, and an upper school.-History:...
, Regina Dominican, Roycemore School
Roycemore School
Roycemore School is an independent, nonsectarian, co-educational college preparatory school located in Evanston, Illinois serving students in junior kindergarten through Grade 12. The School's current enrollment is approximately 255 students.-History:...
, and Lake Forest Academy
Lake Forest Academy
Lake Forest Academy is a college preparatory boarding and day school for grades 9 through 12 located on the North Shore in Lake Forest, Illinois, United States. As of the 2008-2009 school year, students at Lake Forest Academy come from 20 states and 28 countries. The current Head of School is Dr....
, as well as boarding schools on the East Coast such as The Hotchkiss School, Deerfield Academy
Deerfield Academy
Deerfield Academy is an independent, coeducational boarding school in Deerfield, Massachusetts, United States. It is a four-year college-preparatory school with approximately 600 students and about 100 faculty, all of whom live on or near campus....
, Loomis Chaffee
Loomis Chaffee
The Loomis Chaffee School is a premier coeducational boarding school for grades 9–12 and postgraduates located on a 300-plus acre campus in the Connecticut River Valley in Windsor, Connecticut, six miles north of Hartford...
, Miss Porter's School
Miss Porter's School
Miss Porter's School, sometimes simply referred to as Porter's or Farmington, is a private college preparatory school for girls located in Farmington, Connecticut.- History :...
, Westminster School
Westminster School, Connecticut
Westminster School is a small, private, boarding school located in Simsbury, Connecticut.-History:Westminster School was founded by William Lee Cushing in 1888 as a boys’ school in Dobbs Ferry, New York....
, and others.
Public Entities and Points of Interest
Notable places and organizations in Kenilworth include:- Kenilworth Rebels - the Rebels are the football team of 6th, 7th and 8th grade students.
- Kenilworth Fountain - In the middle of Kenilworth Avenue just east of the railroad tracks
- The Kenilworth Beach - The public beach on Lake Michigan, which is divided into a sailing beach and a bathing beach
- Pee Wee Field - Also known as "Sears Stadium" - Baseball field located on the west side of town where many little leaguers play
- Townley Field - District-owned sports field behind the school where many sports are played including field hockey, soccer, lacrosse, and the school Field Day
- The Ware Garden - Public courtyard on the east side where many residents walk their dogs
- Mahoney Park - A small park on the south side of town,named after the farm that was there at the town's founding
- Kenilworth Train Station - Train station on the Metra Line in between Indian Hill and Wilmette stations
- Joseph Sears School - Public elementary and junior high school on Abbotsford Road (JK-8)
- The Kenilworth Club - A frequented community house that hosts all sorts of events throughout the year
- Kenilworth Historical Society - Preserve and present the history of the town
- Kenilworth Union Church - A non-denominational Protestant church on Kenilworth Avenue
- Church of the Holy Comforter - Episcopal Church across the street from Kenilworth Union
Kenilworth does not have its own fire department or library; for these services, the town contracts with the neighboring Winnetka fire department and with the Wilmette library. Kenilworth has its own police department and 9-1-1 call center.
Kenilworth Assembly Hall
Known as the Kenilworth Club, the Assembly Hall is a community building in the center of the village used for civic events for the town's gatherings, school-related events, and private organizations' meetings. This building is used for the annual Joseph Sears School benefits as well. The building was constructed by George Maher in 1907. The community house is used by the Historical Society, Joseph Sears School, and the Boy and Girl Scouts programs among others. In addition, a handful of yearly events go on at the Kenilworth Club, including Bingo Night, The Memorial Day Parade, and the Halloween Party. According to the official website, the Club's mission is, "To educate members of the community about the village, its history and architecture, as represented by the Assembly Hall itself; to promote friendly relations among its members; to serve their social needs; and to promote cultural activities, provide literary entertainment and encourage mental culture."In recent years, the Kenilworth Assembly Hall has become a home for concerts and benefits hosted by local bands from New Trier High School
New Trier High School
New Trier High School is a public four-year high school , with its major campus located in Winnetka, Illinois, USA, and a second campus in Northfield, Illinois, with freshman classes and district administration...
,Sears moms and other surrounding areas. The title "North Shore Scene" has been appropriately coined by many students and teenagers to describe their association with the concerts and the bands that participate. The North Shore Scene has helped launch the careers of well-known artists such as Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...
and Blacktop Mourning.
Geography
Kenilworth is located at 42°5′17"N 87°42′57"W (42.088128, -87.716009).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land.
The highest point in the village is in the northwest corner, along Ridge Rd. This point is about 643 feet (196 m) above sea level, or 68 feet (20.7 m) above the surface of Lake Michigan.
History
Joseph Sears purchased 223.6 acre (0.904877896 km²) in one of the last undeveloped areas near Chicago's lakeshore for $150,300 in 1889. Joseph Sears' specifications for the community included large lots, high standards of construction, no alleys, and sales to Caucasians only. Seven years later, the population had reached 300 residents, fulfilling the legal requirement for incorporation. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,494.Notable people
- Walker EvansWalker EvansWalker Evans was an American photographer best known for his work for the Farm Security Administration documenting the effects of the Great Depression. Much of Evans's work from the FSA period uses the large-format, 8x10-inch camera...
- Professional Photographer - George Washington Maher - early 20th century Prairie SchoolPrairie SchoolPrairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
style ArchitectArchitectAn architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the... - James McManusJames McManusJames "Jim" McManus is an American poker player, teacher and writer living in Kenilworth, Illinois.-Poker and Positively Fifth Street:...
- Novelist and author of Positively Fifth Street - Charles H. PercyCharles H. PercyCharles Harting "Chuck" Percy was president of the Bell & Howell Corporation from 1949 to 1964. He was elected United States Senator from Illinois in 1966, re-elected through his term ending in 1985; he concentrated on business and foreign relations...
- Former U.S. Senator - Mark KirkMark KirkMark Steven Kirk is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Kirk was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 10th congressional district....
- U.S. Senator - Terence H. WinklessTerence H. WinklessTerence H. Winkless is a producer, director, and writer of motion pictures and television, and cast member of The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, playing Bingo the Gorilla.-Early life:...
- Film Director - Christopher George KennedyChristopher George KennedyChristopher George Kennedy is an American businessman.He is president of , a commercial-property management firm based in Chicago, Illinois, which manages various properties including The Merchandise Mart in Chicago and the in Los Angeles, California, and the in Boston, Massachusetts.He is the...
- Son of Bobby Kennedy and President of Merchandise Mart